Nick Stone (author)
Encyclopedia
Nick Stone is a British thriller writer.
and his Haitian wife,
After studying history at Cambridge University, from where he graduated in 1989, he had numerous jobs, ranging from washing dishes to paralegal work at the Old Bailey
.
to live with his grandparents, where he stayed until returning to England in 1970. He returned there during 1973-1974, in 1982 and in 1995. His grandparents owned an estate in Haiti and some of his relatives worked for the country's dictator, François "Papa Doc" Duvalier
. During his visit in 1982 he met Father Jean Bertrand Aristide, the priest who would become Haiti's first democratically elected President; he has said that he had high hopes for Aristide's term as president but that "he turned out to be Papa Doc without the jokes". He has cited his Haitian experience as being an influence on his writings and has said that until his visit in the 1990s he thought it to be an "idyllic" place. Of that visit he has said:
He was bullied as a child due to his skin colour. This caused him to take up amateur boxing, at which he fought at welterweight
and light-middleweight. His maternal grandfather had been a bareknuckle boxer based in France
before World War II
.
, John Grisham
, Elmore Leonard
and Carl Hiaasen
.
The plot for his first novel, Mr Clarinet, took shape during his visit to Haiti of 1995. It was published in January 2006 and became a critical and commercial success in the UK, reaching number 12 on the paperback bestseller lists, and number 3 in Australia. The novel has been translated into 12 languages. In an interview with Stone it was said that the book "articulated the change in Haiti over the last 30 years".
Stone's second novel, King of Swords - a prequel to Mr Clarinet, set in Cocaine Cowboy era Miami - was published in hardcover in the UK in August 2007. King of Swords has met with equally strong critical acclaim in the UK, with several reviewers considering the novel superior to his debut. King of Swords has been optioned by Martin Campbell
.
Stone's third novel, Voodoo Eyes, set in Miami and Cuba either side of the 2008 US Presidential Election, marks the third and final outing for the character of Max Mingus.
award in 2006 for best thriller of the year, the International Thriller Writers Award
for best first novel, and the Macavity Award
for best first novel, both in 2007. The French translation, Tonton Clarinette, won the ninth SNCF
Prix du Polar in 2009.
, England
.
Stone qualified as a boxing trainer in 2009. He works as an assistant boxing trainer in East London.
Background
Born in Cambridge to historian Norman StoneNorman Stone
Norman Stone is a British academic, historian, author and is currently a Professor in the Department of International Relations at Bilkent University, Ankara...
and his Haitian wife,
After studying history at Cambridge University, from where he graduated in 1989, he had numerous jobs, ranging from washing dishes to paralegal work at the Old Bailey
Old Bailey
The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
.
Early life
When he was six months old, Stone was sent to HaitiHaiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
to live with his grandparents, where he stayed until returning to England in 1970. He returned there during 1973-1974, in 1982 and in 1995. His grandparents owned an estate in Haiti and some of his relatives worked for the country's dictator, François "Papa Doc" Duvalier
François Duvalier
François Duvalier was the President of Haiti from 1957 until his death in 1971. Duvalier first won acclaim in fighting diseases, earning him the nickname "Papa Doc" . He opposed a military coup d'état in 1950, and was elected President in 1957 on a populist and black nationalist platform...
. During his visit in 1982 he met Father Jean Bertrand Aristide, the priest who would become Haiti's first democratically elected President; he has said that he had high hopes for Aristide's term as president but that "he turned out to be Papa Doc without the jokes". He has cited his Haitian experience as being an influence on his writings and has said that until his visit in the 1990s he thought it to be an "idyllic" place. Of that visit he has said:
He was bullied as a child due to his skin colour. This caused him to take up amateur boxing, at which he fought at welterweight
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
and light-middleweight. His maternal grandfather had been a bareknuckle boxer based in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Work
Stone has named some of his favourite crime writers as being James EllroyJames Ellroy
Lee Earle "James" Ellroy is an American crime fiction writer and essayist. Ellroy has become known for a so-called "telegraphic" prose style in his most recent work, wherein he frequently omits connecting words and uses only short, staccato sentences, and in particular for the novels The Black...
, John Grisham
John Grisham
John Ray Grisham, Jr. is an American lawyer and author, best known for his popular legal thrillers.John Grisham graduated from Mississippi State University before attending the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1981 and practiced criminal law for about a decade...
, Elmore Leonard
Elmore Leonard
Elmore John Leonard Jr. , better known as Elmore Leonard, is an American novelist and screenwriter. His earliest published novels in the 1950s were westerns, but Leonard went on to specialize in crime fiction and suspense thrillers, many of which have been adapted into motion pictures.Among his...
and Carl Hiaasen
Carl Hiaasen
Carl Hiaasen is an American journalist, columnist and novelist.- Early years :Born in 1953 and raised in Plantation, Florida, of Norwegian heritage, Hiaasen was the first of four children and the son of a lawyer, Kermit Odel, and teacher, Patricia...
.
The plot for his first novel, Mr Clarinet, took shape during his visit to Haiti of 1995. It was published in January 2006 and became a critical and commercial success in the UK, reaching number 12 on the paperback bestseller lists, and number 3 in Australia. The novel has been translated into 12 languages. In an interview with Stone it was said that the book "articulated the change in Haiti over the last 30 years".
Stone's second novel, King of Swords - a prequel to Mr Clarinet, set in Cocaine Cowboy era Miami - was published in hardcover in the UK in August 2007. King of Swords has met with equally strong critical acclaim in the UK, with several reviewers considering the novel superior to his debut. King of Swords has been optioned by Martin Campbell
Martin Campbell
-Life and career:Campbell was born in Hastings, New Zealand. He directed two James Bond films, 1995's GoldenEye, starring Pierce Brosnan, and 2006's Casino Royale, starring Daniel Craig, and was the first Bond director since John Glen to direct more than one film, as well as the oldest director in...
.
Stone's third novel, Voodoo Eyes, set in Miami and Cuba either side of the 2008 US Presidential Election, marks the third and final outing for the character of Max Mingus.
Awards
Mr Clarinet won the CWA Ian Fleming Steel DaggerCWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger
The CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger is an annual award given by the British Crime Writers' Association for best thriller of the year. The award is sponsored by the estate of Ian Fleming and is given to "best adventure/thriller novel in the vein of James Bond"....
award in 2006 for best thriller of the year, the International Thriller Writers Award
International Thriller Writers Awards
The International Thriller Writers Awards are awarded by International Thriller Writers at the annual Thrillerfest conferences for outstanding work in the field since 2006.-Award winners:2006*Thrillermaster: Clive Cussler...
for best first novel, and the Macavity Award
Macavity Awards
The Macavity Awards are a literary award for mystery writers. Nominated and voted upon annually by the members of the Mystery Readers International, the award is named for the "mystery cat" of T. S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. The award is given in four categories -- best novel,...
for best first novel, both in 2007. The French translation, Tonton Clarinette, won the ninth SNCF
SNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
Prix du Polar in 2009.
Personal life
Stone is married and lives with his family in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Stone qualified as a boxing trainer in 2009. He works as an assistant boxing trainer in East London.